The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow turning sunlight

The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow turning sunlight

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's renowned short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," the color yellow plays a significant role in symbolizing the protagonist's descent into madness. The quote "The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow turning sunlight" perfectly captures the unsettling and disturbing nature of the wallpaper that haunts the narrator throughout the story.

The color yellow is often associated with sickness, decay, and madness, making it a fitting choice for the wallpaper that becomes a source of obsession for the protagonist. The description of the color as "smouldering unclean yellow" evokes a sense of decay and filth, hinting at the deteriorating mental state of the narrator as she becomes increasingly fixated on the wallpaper.

The mention of the sunlight slowly turning the yellow faded adds another layer of complexity to the symbolism of the color. The fading of the yellow could be interpreted as a metaphor for the gradual deterioration of the protagonist's mental health as she becomes more and more consumed by her obsession with the wallpaper. The sunlight, typically associated with warmth and light, becomes a source of distortion and decay in this context, further emphasizing the unsettling nature of the color yellow in the story.

As the protagonist's mental state deteriorates, her perception of the wallpaper becomes increasingly distorted, mirroring her own descent into madness. The color yellow, with its connotations of sickness and decay, serves as a visual representation of the protagonist's deteriorating mental health and the oppressive nature of the patriarchal society that confines her.

Overall, the quote "The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow turning sunlight" effectively captures the unsettling and disturbing nature of the wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper." The color yellow serves as a powerful symbol of decay, madness, and oppression, reflecting the protagonist's own descent into madness and the oppressive forces that seek to control her.